🕌 Zakat Calculator
By ToolNimba Finance Team · Reviewed by ToolNimba Editorial Review, personal finance content · Updated 2026-06-19
This calculator gives an estimate only and is not a religious ruling (fatwa). Rules on what counts as zakatable, how to value gold and silver, which debts may be deducted, and the exact nisab in your currency differ between scholars and schools of thought. Confirm your figures with a qualified scholar or your local zakat authority before paying.
Zakat is one of the five pillars of Islam: an annual charitable due of 2.5% on the qualifying wealth a Muslim has held for a full lunar year, paid to those in need. This calculator adds up your zakatable assets (cash, gold and silver, investments and business goods, and money owed to you), subtracts your short-term debts, and compares the net figure to the nisab threshold you enter. If your net wealth reaches the nisab, it shows the 2.5% zakat you owe.
What is the Zakat Calculator?
Zakat is calculated on net zakatable wealth, not on income or on everything you own. The assets that count are broadly liquid or trade-related: cash in hand and in the bank, the market value of gold and silver, money in investments and savings plans, the value of stock and goods held for business, and reliable debts that are owed to you. Things you use personally, such as your home, your car and your everyday belongings, are not zakatable. From the total of your zakatable assets you subtract immediate liabilities, such as bills due and short-term debts, to reach the net figure the rate is applied to.
The nisab is the minimum threshold of wealth a person must hold before zakat becomes due. It is traditionally set as the value of 87.48 grams of gold or 612.36 grams of silver, whichever standard you follow, converted into your local currency at current prices. Because metal prices move daily, the nisab value changes too, which is why this calculator asks you to enter the current figure rather than guessing it. Many scholars suggest using the silver nisab, since it is lower and therefore means more people pay and more of the poor benefit.
The other condition is the lunar year, called hawl. Zakat is due on wealth that has been in your possession for one full Islamic (Hijri) year, which is about 11 days shorter than the solar year. In practice many people pick a fixed date each year, often in Ramadan, and pay 2.5% on whatever qualifying wealth they hold on that date. The rate of 2.5% (one fortieth) applies to cash, gold, silver, trade goods and most savings. Note that different rates apply to some categories such as agricultural produce and livestock, which this calculator does not cover.
When to use it
- Working out your annual zakat on cash, gold, silver and investments before your chosen payment date.
- Checking whether your net wealth has reached the nisab threshold this year, so you know if zakat is due at all.
- Estimating zakat for a household by combining savings, business stock and money owed to you, minus short-term debts.
- Planning ahead in Ramadan, when many Muslims calculate and pay their zakat for the year.
How to use the Zakat Calculator
- Enter your cash and bank savings, then the current market value of any gold and silver.
- Add the value of investments, savings plans and business goods, plus any reliable money owed to you.
- Enter your short-term debts and immediate liabilities to subtract.
- Enter the current nisab value in your currency (the value of the gold or silver standard you follow).
- Read off your net zakatable wealth and the 2.5% zakat due, with a status note on whether you have reached the nisab.
Formula & method
Worked examples
You hold 5,000 in cash, 2,000 in gold, 1,000 in investments, owe 500 in short-term debts, and the nisab is 500.
- Total assets = 5,000 + 2,000 + 1,000 = 8,000
- Net zakatable wealth = 8,000 - 500 = 7,500
- Check nisab: 7,500 is greater than or equal to 500, so zakat is due
- Zakat = 7,500 x 2.5 / 100 = 187.50
Result: Net wealth 7,500, zakat due 187.50
You hold 300 in cash and 100 in silver, with no debts, and the nisab is 500.
- Total assets = 300 + 100 = 400
- Net zakatable wealth = 400 - 0 = 400
- Check nisab: 400 is below 500, so no zakat is due
- Zakat = 0
Result: Net wealth 400, below nisab, no zakat due this year
What is and is not zakatable (general guidance, confirm with a scholar)
| Asset | Zakatable? |
|---|---|
| Cash, bank balances and savings | Yes, 2.5% |
| Gold and silver (jewellery, coins, bars) | Yes, at market value |
| Shares, funds and business stock held to trade | Yes, at current value |
| Reliable debts owed to you | Yes, when likely to be repaid |
| Your home, car and personal belongings | No |
Nisab standards (multiply weight by the current per-gram price in your currency)
| Standard | Weight | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Gold nisab | 87.48 grams | Higher threshold (about 7.5 tola) |
| Silver nisab | 612.36 grams | Lower threshold, benefits more recipients |
| Zakat rate | n/a | 2.5% (one fortieth) on cash, metals and trade goods |
Common mistakes to avoid
- Calculating zakat on income instead of wealth. Zakat is not an income tax. It is charged on the qualifying wealth you still hold after a full lunar year, not on what you earned during the year. Money spent on living costs through the year is not part of the calculation.
- Forgetting to value gold and silver at market price. Jewellery and coins are counted at their current market value, not what you paid for them. Use the live per-gram price on your calculation date to value the metal you hold.
- Subtracting long-term debts in full. Most scholars allow you to deduct only immediate, short-term liabilities, not the entire balance of a long mortgage or car loan. Deducting a full 25-year mortgage would wrongly wipe out the zakat due.
- Using an out-of-date nisab figure. The nisab is tied to the price of gold or silver, which moves daily. Enter the current value for your chosen standard, otherwise you may decide zakat is or is not due when the opposite is true.
Glossary
- Zakat
- An obligatory annual charity in Islam, normally 2.5% of qualifying wealth held for a full lunar year, paid to eligible recipients.
- Nisab
- The minimum threshold of net wealth a person must hold before zakat becomes due, set by the value of 87.48 g of gold or 612.36 g of silver.
- Hawl
- The lunar year (about 354 days) that wealth must be held before zakat falls due on it.
- Zakatable wealth
- The assets that count toward zakat: cash, gold, silver, investments, trade goods and reliable receivables.
- Net wealth
- Total zakatable assets minus immediate, short-term debts and liabilities.
Frequently asked questions
How much is zakat?
Zakat on cash, gold, silver, investments and trade goods is 2.5% (one fortieth) of your net zakatable wealth, provided that wealth is at or above the nisab and has been held for a full lunar year. Some categories such as crops and livestock use different rates that this calculator does not cover.
What is the nisab?
The nisab is the minimum amount of wealth you must hold before zakat is due. It is the value of 87.48 grams of gold or 612.36 grams of silver in your currency. Because metal prices change daily, you enter the current nisab figure into the calculator yourself.
Do I pay zakat on gold and silver jewellery?
Most scholars hold that gold and silver are zakatable at their current market value, including jewellery, coins and bars, when your total net wealth reaches the nisab. Views differ on jewellery in regular personal use, so check the position of the scholars you follow.
Can I deduct my debts before calculating zakat?
You can generally deduct immediate, short-term liabilities such as bills and debts due soon. Most scholars do not allow you to deduct the full balance of a long-term loan like a mortgage; only the portion due in the near term, if any. Confirm the rule with a qualified scholar.
Is zakat based on income or on savings?
Zakat is based on the qualifying wealth you still hold after a full lunar year, not on your income. It is a wealth due, not an income tax, so money you earned but already spent on living costs is not part of the calculation.
When should I pay my zakat?
Zakat is due once your zakatable wealth has stayed at or above the nisab for one full lunar year (hawl). Many people fix a date each year, often in Ramadan, and pay 2.5% on whatever qualifying wealth they hold on that day.
Sources
- Zakat: the third pillar of Islam , Encyclopaedia Britannica
- What is Zakat and how is it calculated? , National Zakat Foundation